On Real Prayer and Obesity
These past two days, I have been reading Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, which is a devotional book, where Spurgeon takes a verse and writes about 500 words on it, one for the morning, and a second to be read in the evening, two for each day of the year. I always find it encouraging, more so than any other devotional aid I have used. The passages for last night and this morning have particularly impressed upon me the dangers of apathy and a lukewarm faith. I would like to share my thoughts on these verses, and pray that the Word of God will have the supernatural changing effect on the listener that is necessary to live in the fulness of His plan.
July 2nd (evening) - "To You I call, O Lord my Rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me! For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit". (Psalm 28v1)
It is useless to cry out for help to any other than God. Who can help us in our time of need other than the originator and author of our souls? Spurgeon speaks of 'mere formalists' who may be content with simply the act of prayer, and feel good about themselves for performing a religious ritual, and how different they are from the 'genuine suppliant', who is not content with God's silence, but must hear an answer. I wonder how often I truly strive in prayer to hear an answer from God, or whether too often I simply pray nonchalantly at a time that is convenient for me because I am doing nothing 'more important', and think 'well it would be nice if God answers, but I'm not expecting too much'. I keep getting the image of Elijah, who when he prayed for rain, sat down with his head between his knees (not the most comfortable position), and prayed seven times for God to send rain on Samaria. We see the persistent widow in Luke 18, who keeps persisting in approaching the judge until he gives her an answer. Jesus says "will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?". We cannot be content with praying just to gain a self-comforting peace of mind. We should strive to hear from the God who will not ignore those whom He has chosen from eternity past!
July 3rd (morning) - "And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows" (Genesis 41v4)
Spurgeon shares his thoughts in this passage about times of famine and times of plenty in his personal relationship with God. He talks about the times of drought as of when he backslides, and does not seek fresh stores of heavenly grain. He talks about the times of plenty as when he is soaked in the scripture, and in line with the Holy Spirit. I find it encouraging that a man so greatly used by God freely admits that he too had times of self-inflicted spiritual dryness. It serves to show more of the magnitude of God's grace, that He would use such broken vessels as you and I for His purposes! We need to seek to be fat in spirit from the meadows of God's revelation, by His Spirit, by His Word, and by striving in prayer and listening.
I trust that God will listen to your earnest prayers and keep you sharp to guard against the danger of leanness.
July 2nd (evening) - "To You I call, O Lord my Rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me! For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit". (Psalm 28v1)
It is useless to cry out for help to any other than God. Who can help us in our time of need other than the originator and author of our souls? Spurgeon speaks of 'mere formalists' who may be content with simply the act of prayer, and feel good about themselves for performing a religious ritual, and how different they are from the 'genuine suppliant', who is not content with God's silence, but must hear an answer. I wonder how often I truly strive in prayer to hear an answer from God, or whether too often I simply pray nonchalantly at a time that is convenient for me because I am doing nothing 'more important', and think 'well it would be nice if God answers, but I'm not expecting too much'. I keep getting the image of Elijah, who when he prayed for rain, sat down with his head between his knees (not the most comfortable position), and prayed seven times for God to send rain on Samaria. We see the persistent widow in Luke 18, who keeps persisting in approaching the judge until he gives her an answer. Jesus says "will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?". We cannot be content with praying just to gain a self-comforting peace of mind. We should strive to hear from the God who will not ignore those whom He has chosen from eternity past!
July 3rd (morning) - "And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows" (Genesis 41v4)
Spurgeon shares his thoughts in this passage about times of famine and times of plenty in his personal relationship with God. He talks about the times of drought as of when he backslides, and does not seek fresh stores of heavenly grain. He talks about the times of plenty as when he is soaked in the scripture, and in line with the Holy Spirit. I find it encouraging that a man so greatly used by God freely admits that he too had times of self-inflicted spiritual dryness. It serves to show more of the magnitude of God's grace, that He would use such broken vessels as you and I for His purposes! We need to seek to be fat in spirit from the meadows of God's revelation, by His Spirit, by His Word, and by striving in prayer and listening.
I trust that God will listen to your earnest prayers and keep you sharp to guard against the danger of leanness.
posted by TJC at
11:41
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